For The Love of a Daughter
by onemomentwithyou
Summary: David and Emma patrol the edges of Storybrooke together until a powerful source rips them apart. Mary Margret is caught in the middle, Emma is worried about Henry, and David/Charming gets a taste of his own medicine. Things between Rumple and Belle heat up and will Regina get her happy ever after?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Emma?" a tentative, small voice spoke out of the cold, dark night. I woke with a start, fearing the worst. "Henry!" escaped my lips before I could stifle the demented-sounding scream. My eyes searched for the voice. There, standing just inside my bedroom door, was my son.

"Hey, Kid. Are you okay?" I try to calm my erratic breathing and scoot upright, sitting against my pillows. After a moment of hesitating, Henry clambers up onto my bed and lays down, pulling the covers over his face. I wish he would have let me sleep on the couch, but the kid wouldn't have it. I guess he gets his stubbornness from me. "Henry?" I poke him a couple times unsure of what to do.

"I had a nightmare. She…she broke in here and I just…don't want to leave you. She's evil…she's the evil queen and you have to know that now. You broke the curse…she-" "Shh, Henry, hey. You're okay, Kid. It was just a dream." I try to wrestle him out from under the covers but he won't budge. I sit there contemplating for a minute. Before I have the chance to wrap him up in my arms and comfort him, Mary Margaret and David appear in my doorway, looking alarmed. "What's happened, Emma?" Mary Margret asks looking at the lump under my sheets and eyeing me cautiously.

"It's Henry…" I murmur back with a little too much disdain. I try to look sympathetic, she is my…mom. But calling her…mom or even Snow? This is just too weird for me. I push the thought back. "We heard yells from your room. Is he okay?" David interjects. I can't call him Dad or Charming either. How do I call my own dad "Charming"? Before I have the time to knock the thought back, Henry enters the conversation again from his hiding place. "I'm fine. Emma, can I sleep in here with you? The living room is big…and dark and…"

"Yeah, Kid. You can bunk in here with me but you should know that I hog the blankets…" Henry laughs his cute, innocent laugh. What I wouldn't give to make him laugh or smile. Mary Margret is visibly happy with my decision and Henry's laughter. David smiles down on us and I feel a pang deep down in my belly. Why does that keep happening? "Goodnight, Emma. Sweet dreams, Henry'' Chirps Mary Margret from the doorway. She wants to say something else, I can tell, but she turns her face to David. "Goodnight" he pipes in.

He seems oddly distracted, but I don't have enough energy to investigate, so I drop it even if they are acting…different. "Goodnight. Oh, and sorry for waking you both up." I reply, lying back down. I can hear the steady breathing of Henry sleeping. My eyelids are heavy and I turn over to fall asleep. "I…we…" Mary Margret stammers and I look up at her quizzically. She smiles sweetly, "Goodnight" she whispers and eases the door closed. I want to know what she was going to say, but my exhausted body wins me over before I can protest.


	2. Storybrooke, Maine

**Chapter 1**

My alarm goes off, 6am. I roll out of bed trying not to wake Henry. For the first time in my life, I wake up knowing exactly where my son is. In the instant that it takes for my mind to register the thought, my heart swells. I woke up happy. When's the last time that happened? Anyway, I should probably get ready and stop staring at Henry before he wakes up. I shake my head at myself. I'm losing my mind….

I crack my dresser open, trying to be as stealthy as possible. Henry stirs but rolls over and is fast asleep. I grab some clothes and make my way down stairs to the bathroom. David is awake and reading the newspaper. "Good morning, Emma! I was hoping you'd be down soon. I have a question to ask you." I never understood why people talk to other people before they've had their morning coffee. Maybe that's just my chaotic, caffeine-addicted-foster-parents, don't-speak-unless-spoken-to childhood memories creeping through. Anyway, I try to cut him some slack. After all, he did just remember that I'm his daughter, after being magically spellbound and trapped in my world; the land without magic. "Good morning" I smile, "What's your question?" He folds up his newspaper, which is from a few days ago. "I was wondering if you needed any help down at the station. The animal shelter is fine and all, but it's not a position fit for a King. I need some control. Regina is bound to strike back with dark magic and when she does, I need to be at the forefront of our comeback." David sounds weary and I wonder if he's slept at all. "Actually, now that you mention it, I could use some help getting Storybrooke up and running again. I'll meet you at the station at 7:30. I want to run by Granny's first and I need to get ready." My mind is spinning. I believe all of this, the curse and magic and all, but it's still hard to wrap my head around. "Well, how about I drive you? I would like to stop by Granny's as well…if that's alright with you." He looks hopeful and longing. I won't ruin his happiness. "Sure, thank you. I'll be ready by 7." I smile and walk to the bathroom.

After a quick shower, which was welcomed with open arms, I get dressed and fix my hair. A soft knock is rapped on the bathroom door. I open it and Mary Margret is waiting patiently on the other side. "Emma! Good morning. Are you finished in here?" she asks so sweetly, it almost hurts. "Hi, good morning, I'm done. It's all yours." I start to gather my things and am walking out the door when she catches my arm. "Emma, have a wonderful day at work today. Please stay safe. I don't know what I would do if I somehow lost you again." Her eyes twinkle at mine. She fits the bill of a fairytale character to a "t". I smile at the thought and reply "I will be safe because David is my new Officer at the station. We will be patrolling the town together. And, I trust that he's going to have my back." "David? Who…oh, you mean Charming? Good. I feel much better now. Henry and I will bring you lunch this afternoon. Where should we meet you two?" asks Mary Margret. "How about you call around lunchtime and we can figure it out then? Today is going to be busy. I just have a feeling." I try for a joking tone, but we both know that this problem is serious. "Okay, just be careful." She sighs, but I can feel her faith in me and it gives me all the reassurance I needed. "I will. We will." My turn to be reassuring.

"Ready, darling daughter?" David inquires as he saunters over to us, smiling. "Yes, just let me grab my jacket." I answer quickly. I'm not good with touchy-feely conversations. David kisses Mary Margret and leans his forehead to hers. I blush and walk awkwardly away to fetch my jacket. I look back over my shoulder and they are still having a moment to themselves. Why is this so weird to me? They should love each other. They should be affectionate. Maybe it's awkward because they're my parents? I don't know. Before I have time to mull it over, David opens the door for me. "Good bye, my love." He waves to Mary Margret. She puts her hand over her heart then waves back, with a gentle smile. Off to work we go.

The car ride was not long and therefore had no time to be awkward. I sat in the passenger seat watching the town I had come to know so well, pass by almost unrecognizable. The ride was bumpy and unnerving. Regina had to be behind this. This is the work of something evil. This is black magic. Why else would everything be so destroyed? Surely pure magic doesn't have this effect…just as I was pondering these thoughts; we pulled up in front of Granny's, which was still standing by some miracle. There was no one in Granny's, which was extraordinarily odd. Ruby looks different. There's just something different about her. We exchange some small talk, but I still can't place the difference. David and I get our coffee and bagels and head back to his truck.

"It's weird that no one is at Granny's, right?" I ask him, hoping he'd confirm my theory. "Yes, very odd." He says shaking his head. We start our drive to the station when we see a mob of people walking down Second Street. "What the…? David, Stop!" I yelp. He slams on the breaks just feet from the end of the mob. I scramble out of the truck. "Hey, what's going on?" I ask the person nearest me. "Emma, so nice of you to join us", Mr. Gold turns around, "We're on our way to Regina's. The townspeople need their mayor in this most desperate time of need. I'm sure you agree, don't you, dear-y?" "Rumple, please. She's not worth your soul. You are good." A beautiful woman pleads, clasping his hand. I'm taken off guard and before I can stop my lips from moving, "Who are you?" falls out of them and I am genuinely curious. "My name is Belle." She replies. Mr. Gold…er…Rumple looks at her with kind eyes, longing eyes. Okay, what the hell is going on here? What's his deal? And where did this Belle character come from? "Rumple" growls David. "Oh, Charmy Charm, how I have missed you. My Belle and I must be on our way now. Off to the Queen's." Rumple replies wittily with a wry smile. David's jaw clenches, "Snow is the only one deemed fit for the title of Queen, as you so well know, Rumple. What are you playing at? Why are the townspeople heading for Regina? What have you promised them?" "Me? I do not promise anything without a price, of course as YOU so well know, Charming. I'm simply taking a stroll with my beauty. Good day, Ms. Swan, Charming." Rumple leads Belle away toward the mob of townspeople.

I look up at David, who is still fuming. I can't ignore my part as Sheriff, but is it really a good idea to take David with me? I just don't want things to get out of hand. "Let's go. We have to beat the mob to Regina's." I decide. He looks at me bewildered, "No, you can't go anywhere near her. She will try to destroy you. I won't let you. Emma, I won't lose you again." "I have an obligation as Sheriff-"I try to protest, but he shakes his head sternly at me. I don't press the topic anymore; his eyes hold so much regret. "I guess I'll have to wait until someone calls and requests help then", I say sourly. He nods and I feel so defeated.

We clamber back into the truck. "Let's go survey the area and see how far the destruction goes", he says trying to brighten the mood. "Alright" I answer so I can analyze the whole mob-of-angry-people-on-their-way-to-Regina's thing. Why would they want answers from Regina? Obviously everyone remembers the curse. Then they're going to Regina's for revenge? No, Maybe? I don't know. All of this is giving me a serious headache. David turns some music on and hums along to it happily. It's my turn to fume.

After driving the perimeter of the town, the coastal land and the local landmarks, we decide to drive out to the edge of Storybrooke. There's no way it could have gotten all the way out there. As we are driving along and David is merrily humming to the sound of the music, my phone rings. It's Mary Margret. "Mary Margret? Hi. We are driving out to the edge of Storybrooke to see how far the destruction carried. Would you guys like to meet us out here? We could have a picnic out in the woods." I chat into the phone. "Sure, we'll meet you there. Grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit and water sound good? Maybe I'll get a pie from Granny's! You and Henry like Pumpkin right?" she is excited, I can tell. "That sounds great! We'll see you guys in about 20 minutes?" I am equally excited. I really do love spending time with my…family. "We'll be there! Oh, Emma! I'm so happy." She's smiling into the phone, her voice gives her away. "I am too, Mary Margret, I really am." I wonder if she can hear me smile through the phone too. "We're on our way! Good bye." I can hear her car door shutting. "Bye! See you and Henry soon." I hang up the phone.

David smiles at me and pulls to a stop by the "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign. There are trees lying in all different directions. The ground is cracked and uneven. It did reach the edge of Storybrooke. I wonder how. Just then, a baby deer crosses the road, right in front of me. "Wow! Look, it's so close!" I exclaim. "It's beautiful," David answers. He walks over to where the deer disappeared into the foliage. "Emma!" he whispers and motions for me to come. I walk over as silently as possible, and peeking over a fallen tree, there are hundreds of deer. Not only deer, but horses and birds and there's a beautiful pond, glistening in the middle of all of these animals; A watering hole of sorts. It's the most beautiful, strange and magical thing I've ever seen. I'm drawn to it and start to move toward the scene. "No!" David whispers, "It's a trap. This is dark magic." "But it's so beautiful…" I say in dismay. "Exactly, it is a way to lure the unsuspecting in." he says calmly. I'm disappointed but I'm glad to be sharing this moment with him. He's so focused. "Why's it here?" I ask him incredulously. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. It doesn't make any sense." He whispers back intently. "Come on, this is giving me the creeps." I tug on his arm and he follows me. We walk out of the foliage and back toward the street.

"Hey, look at the sign!" he says pointing at a gaping hole in the middle of the "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign. I walk over to the sign with him, "Wow! How did this happen?" I run my fingers along the sharp edges of the hole. My fingers tingle. I feel the sudden urge to stick my hand through the hole and I do.

"Emma, no!" it's Henry. They must have just pulled up. I reflexively pull my hand out from the metal hole in the sign, only I can't free it. "Emma! Get your hand out of there!" Mary Margret shouts. "I…I can't! It's stuck" I'm starting to panic now because the hole is huge, my hand shouldn't be stuck. Something is pulling me. I look back and my arm is all the way in the sign. "Take my hand!" Mary Margret flings me her hand and I hold on with all of my might.

I feel like I entered a whirlpool. The force is so strong that I have to fight to keep hold of Mary Margret's hand. Which way is up? All I can see is Mary Margret yelling to me. I can't even hear her. It sounds like wind and ocean waves in my ears. It's deafening. I try shouting out to her, but she can't hear me either. I hit something hard and roll a few times on what feels like forest floor.

My vision starts to come back into focus. I'm lying on pine needles. Above me are trees and sky. I can hear birds chirping. Okay, maybe I passed out? Maybe I'm hallucinating. This is a dream. I sit up and Mary Margret is lying beside me. Her iron steel grip on my hand is starting to cut off my circulation. I rouse her, "Mary Margret?" She opens her eyes and rubs her head. "What happened?" she asks, "Where are Charming and Henry?" Henry! Where is he? Is he okay? I stand up abruptly. This is the part of the dream, where I should wake up gasping in my bed. I don't wake up. This isn't a dream. "Henry?" I yell. Panic courses through my veins. "Emma, look around. We're in the middle of the forest." Mary Margret urges, standing up and taking my hand again. "Where's the road?" I say aloud. I start looking around but all I can see is forest for miles. "I know these woods. Emma, welcome to the Enchanted Forest." She says gulping.

_*I'm looking for more ideas! If you have a topic, ship or scenerio that you want to see written about, please let me know and I'll try to incorporate you ideas! Feedback is welcome. Hate is not. I hope you guys like it! It's my first fanfic :) Feel free to leave a comment _


	3. The Hovel

**Chapter 2**

"Excuse me? We're where?" My mind is racing. This is impossible. Right? It has to be impossible. Just because my arm was sucked into a metal sign and I woke up lying in the middle of a forest…I mean, wait. No, I have to believe. I have to believe this is where we are. I have to believe for Henry.

"Emma, I know you're scared. Please, don't yell at me…" Mary Margret sighs. I feel so guilty. I'm not even mad at her. I'm irritated with the situation. "Mary Margret, I didn't mean to. I…I've just got a lot going on right now. My son is in danger and I can't protect him, my newly found father just watched us both disappear into thin air, and I am standing in a damn fairytale forest! I'm a little edgy, I'm sorry. I don't know how to handle this." I'm at my breaking point. There's only so much one girl can take. I can feel the tears welling up.

"Sweetheart, I promise you…they will be okay without us." She smiles at me through teary eyes. I love this woman so much. "How can you know? How can you be so positive?" The floodgates have been opened and 28 years of dealing with my feelings in solitude vanishes. I am bawling, looking to Mary Margret for answers that she can't possibly hold.

"I don't know for certain, but I have to believe. I have to have faith that they will pull through because if I don't, I won't make it back to them." Her composure is receding. It's all I can do to keep from fully breaking down. She pulls me in to a tight hug and I return the embrace, which of course makes me cry even harder.

We've been standing here hugging and crying for what seems like an eternity. I want to move, but I don't. I'm exhausted from the emotional outburst. I really just feel like punching something. "Emma? Are you alright?" she whispers to me after our weeping subsides. "I think so. Are you?" I look at her perfect face. She smiles "I think so."

I laugh a little, which seems odd in this situation given the circumstances. "What do we do now?" I ask, honestly. She stands in front of me thinking for a moment, "Can I show you something?" she asks me, almost excited. I narrow my eyebrows at her, "Am I going to regret saying 'yes'?" She grins wryly, "You won't. Besides, it isn't far." I'm intrigued and I mean…what else are we going to do out here? "Alright, I'm in." I agree.

After what seemed close to an hour of walking in all directions, we come up to a small, unkempt cottage-looking structure. "What is it?" I ask a little disappointed. All of that just to find this little old, run-down hut? "This…is where I hid from Regina. This…was my home for some time." She states, motioning to the tiny house.

She moves toward the door and knocks. There is no answer. After a moment, she pushes the latch and the door pops open, spewing dust into the sunlight. "Looks vacant" I conclude. "Oh, it has been for some time. Since the curse, I suppose." We stand there looking into the small building.

Mary Margret enters the cottage slowly, as if contemplating whether or not she should disrupt the old place. She spins around, holding out her hand for me. "It's fine. I want to show you something." She smiles at me. I duck into the little building. Why is the door so short? My eyes adjust to the dimly lit room. This must have been the living/dining room. A long wooden table takes up the majority of this room, with its eight wooden chairs. Mary Margret runs her fingers over a few of the chair backs, reminiscing.

I take a closer look at the chairs and see names imprinted in each chair back. Oh my god, one for each dwarf! Suddenly, it dawns on me. Snow White's story! Of course! That's why the door is so short, that's why the house is so tiny, and that's why no one's here.

My sudden intake of breath startles Mary Margret. "What?" she gasps. I laugh because she's so on-guard, "Nothing. Sorry, it's just that I had a revelation. This all makes so much sense! This is the dwarf's cottage!" She smirks at me, "Hovel, actually. It's the Dwarf's Hovel, Emma." I giggle and follow her to a back room, with a little more light than the last room. "I should have known… 'Hovel' is more appropriate." I counter.

"This was my room. The dwarves treated me with such kindness. I had the sunniest, brightest and most luxurious room." She picks up odd little trinkets and giggles with each passing memory. I spot a small book and am curious as to what's inside. I open to a middle page and start reading the small cursive hand-writing.

"That's my…" Mary Margret starts, but judging by the look on my face, trails off. I am astonished by what I just read. Not in a bad way, but in a holy-crap-what-did-I-just-read kind of way. "You…already knew that my name would be Emma?"

"It was my favorite name, so it was fitting." Her mood relaxes a little and I can't help but feel like there's something in this journal that she doesn't want me to know. I close it reluctantly and walk over to Mary Margret.

"Aha! Here it is!" she exclaims holding up a large metal key. "What is that for?" I ask looking around. "Come on, I'll show you." She grabs my hand and leads me out of her room and into the living/dining room. "Help me move the table, Emma." She's excited about something.

We push the very heavy wooden table a few feet, so that it touches the wall. Mary Margret kneels onto the floor and starts brushing the top layer of dirt off of a trap door. "What's down there?" I ask, reserved and nervous. "Armor. We're going to need it." She answers easily.

"You mean like shields and swords…The whole nine yards?" I'm kneeling next to her helping clear the dirt from the keyhole and hinges. "Daggers, shields, swords, anything we might need to defend us on our way to the castle ruins." She looks up at me.

I swallow hard and she clicks the key into the keyhole. "Ready?" she eyes me with concern. My mom is a total badass! "Yeah Snow, I'm ready." She looks up at me with the most honest expression I've ever seen, "…thank you" she inhales deeply and lifts the hatch.

Clearly, there's no homeland security in the Enchanted Forest because this is a gold mine of weapons and sirens would definitely be going off if there were one. Snow hands me a sword and sheath, a rawhide chest protector, small dagger and a sturdy shield. "Put that on under your jacket," she motions to the rawhide chest protector. I do as she says.

I can't believe I'm gearing up to go trekking through a forest teeming with strange fairytale creatures… with my mom. She gracefully adorns all of her war attire in a matter of seconds. Clearly, she's had some practice.

"Let's go kick some fairytale villain ass", I say more to myself than to her. I move to the door and she grabs my arm, pulling me back to look at her. "Stay by my side at all times. I'm serious, Emma. You don't know what kind of evil lurks through this world."


	4. Where Were You?

**Chapter 3**

The ground is hard beneath my feet. My heart is trembling as Snow and I race through the Enchanted Forest, dodging low branches and bushes. It happened in an instant! Had it not been for Snow, my arm would be gone.

The beast had extraordinary camouflage…like nothing I had ever seen before. It was _part_ of the forest.

"Snow, stop! Stop!" We've run as far as we can. A giant precipice is looming in front of us. "I thought there was a bridge here!" She yells as we come to the edge.

I look back for the first time since we started running. "Hold on. Look, nothing is there." We are both out of breath and stand hunched over in an attempt to regain composure. "Unbelievable." Snow shakes her head and looks back into the Enchanted Forest.

The trees are swaying precariously, almost as if they're moving, but there isn't any wind. "Are they…alive?" I ask incredulously, cocking my eyebrows. "Yes, they are and in more than one way too." She chuckles to herself.

"Why in the world is this funny?" I am offended…we could have died! "Emma, these trees are a little temperamental. Your father and I enchanted them before the curse took us to Storybrooke. We thought that they might keep the Evil Queen from gaining access to the castle." She smiles at me, "I forgot they were here."

I want to be mad but the situation is so ridiculous that I have to laugh. Snow finds delight in my laughter and giggles along with me. After our laughter subsides, I look out over the calming, beautiful sea. I cannot believe I lived in a castle! All those years of living with strangers, sleeping in a bed with 3 other kids, starving to death all of the time…and I could have had this? With parents that loved me?

God, I want to kill Regina! What a bitch! She took everything I had ever longed for as a child. I had everything and Regina took it. She destroyed it all. "What's wrong, Emma? Have I upset you?" Her voice startles me.

I clear my throat, "Oh, I'm fine. Just thinking about how different my life would have been…" I can't look at Snow, so I keep staring at the castle ruins. She hugs me tight, "I would change everything if I could. If only I could, Emma, I would."

I'm seething with hate. Regina hurt everyone! She hurt my mom, my dad, Henry…everyone. I can deal with the pain that Regina has caused me, but she hurt my family. That's where I draw the line. I'm pissed!

"Come on, Emma. We've got to keep going. The bridge that was here was probably destroyed when the curse enveloped everything. It looks like the Troll Bridge is our only means of crossing the sea and getting to the castle ruins." Her tone shifts into an uneasy, ominous realization.

***********Snow's Point of View************

I want to hold her hand and promise her everything is going to be alright. I want her to know that I'm here for her. Emma looks so much like Charming. Charming… I hope he and henry are managing without us.

"Troll bridge? Like as in 'Hi, I'm a troll and I'm going to eat you and steal your money'?" Emma harnesses the same intensity as my charming James. "Exactly like that. Scary huh?" I try for a light tone but I can see it's lost on Emma. She is definitely overwhelmed.

"Can we just sit and talk over a coffee like a normal mother-daughter duo would? Are all these mythical creatures really necessary?" She's attempting not to let a smile poke through but her eyes are alight with the air of a joke.

"Why don't we set up camp here? The trolls will have to wait for the morning. Besides, sun is going down over the trees anyway and it wouldn't be safe to go trekking after dark." I smile at her and turn to start picking up dead brush for a fire.

"Thanks, Snow." Emma's voice is soft and tired. She must be exhausted after today's events. I want to wrap her up and sing her to sleep, to watch her eyelids flutter with her dreams, but she isn't a child anymore. I missed all those precious years.

Emma helps me gather dead shrubbery and I tell her which berries are safe to eat and which ones aren't. "Why don't we hunt for something for dinner? Berries are nice and all but I haven't eaten all day. And If I don't get some real food I may actually die."

I hate killing. The thought just makes me sick. However, I know she's right. We can't survive on berries and roots for long. "You stay here and collect as much of this dead brush as you can. Maybe try to configure something for shelter or gather some sticks and leafy branches that we can use to build with."

I walk over and pick up my bow and arrows, determined to give Emma some space. "Wait, you're going in there alone?" she asks incredulously. I pause for a moment. "Emma, I'm trying to give you space. I'm here and you push me away, I leave and you hold on. What do I do?" I'm so tired.

She is stunned. "I didn't mean to. I just…this is hard to deal with okay? You weren't here for 28 years, I'm a grown woman. I needed you as a child but I need you as an adult too and I don't know how to ask for help. I don't know how to be your daughter."

My mouth is hanging wide open. I feel the tears stinging my cheeks but I don't try to stop them. "If I had the choice, I would have kept you. I would have stayed by your side. Do you think it's easy for me to have a daughter that I didn't get to see grow up? That I couldn't hold or see for 28 years? I missed everything, Emma. I missed…you."

Her face screws up into a frown and her breath catches. "No, I missed you. I missed having a mom braid my hair before school. I missed having you there to take me shopping. I missed out on having someone to love me, to be there for me on a bad day, to let me cry. I missed out on the one thing I needed for 28 years."

She's shouting at me. Her words echo off of the dark forest cavities, off of the walls of my heart. "I love you, Emma. I have _always_ loved you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I try to spit the words out but grief suffocates me. I am the worst mother in all of history.

Emma kicks a log in frustration. I can no longer hold myself upright. The weight of the pain I caused Emma is crushing every ounce of my soul. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." I keep repeating until she turns around and shakes her head.

"I can't do this. I cannot hate you and love you at the same time, Snow. I have been through the ringer these past few days. I want to know why you gave me away. Why did you send a helpless infant out into the real world? You have no idea of the awful things I witnessed as a child. The neglect, the abuse, the hurt; you have no idea. Every day I would wake up hopeful that that would be the day that my parents would rescue me. Every night I would go to sleep praying that I would wake up from this nightmare. Despite all of those things, I still love you. I don't want to love you, but I do."

Though her words burn right through me, I can't help the pang of redemption I feel when she said "I love you". I love her more than I've ever loved anyone else. She is a legitimate, real part of me.

I walk over to her and hold out my arms. My lips are trembling. Emma looks at me for a moment, trying to fight my love for her. "Emma, I love you too. I love you to the point of pure adoration. You are the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me. You are a part of the man I love, you are a part of me and you're a part of the love we share. I would not and will not ever abandon you, my sweet Emma. Believe me I would have gone with you if the chest allowed more than one person. I can't change what happened then but I'm trying to change our future."

She falls into my arms. I cradle her, stroking her hair. "I love you, Emma. I have _always_ loved you." I finally get to be the mother she deserves. I get to comfort her and tell her I love her. "I love you too, Snow. Nothing can change that."

**Loving the feedback! Sorry this chapter took sooo long…been having some drama. I love seeing what you guys think about it, so keep the feedback coming! Anything you'd like to see? Let me know. Next chapter will be up in a few days!**


	5. Unconditional

**Chapter 4**

It was a cold night last night. I woke up cuddling Snow and shivering. The fire we were using to stay warm burned out. I get the feeling that I've over-slept, but my body is exhausted. Trying not to wake Snow, I gingerly ease up into a sitting position. _Might as well start another fire. _

Making almost no noise, I begin stacking the sticks in a teepee formation. _Might as well look nice. _Then I stick a heap of dead weeds on top of the small pyramid.

I grab a sharp dagger from my belt and start striking a rock. Snow rustles, "Charming…wait…I love you…" she whispers longingly into the frigid night air. I glance in her direction, hoping she's still asleep.

Thankfully, Snow is only dreaming. A spark flies off of the blade and onto the dead heap of weeds. I blow onto the flame and it takes to the wood. I place the dagger back into its holster hanging from my belt. There isn't anything to do but lie back down and try to fall back to sleep.

I lay down next to Snow on the make-shift bed we created. The long, thin grass isn't much, but it beats sleeping on the cold, hard forest floor. _Anything is better than that._ Snow is facing me and I can't help but stare at her sleeping face.

As if memorizing every feature, I trace the lines of her face with my eyes. _I guess I look like her. We have the same chin._ I'm enamored with comparing myself to this breath-taking woman. It makes me proud to know that I'm a part of her, just as much as she's a part of me. _So, you're my mom huh? _I smile to myself.

"Find us, Emma. Please…you're our only hope." Snow is pleading to thin air. I panic and close my eyes pretending to be fast asleep. _Hello, get with the program! She's dreaming, genius._ I fight back the laugh when suddenly her face contorts into a grimace.

"Please…don't hate me, Emma. I love you. I love you. I'm your mother. I love you, Emma. Emma…" Tears stream down her pale cheeks but her eyes never open. I know you aren't supposed to wake a sleep-walker but does talking in your sleep have the same rule?

Instinctively, I wrap my arms around her and make calming "Shush" sounds. The tears stop falling and her gasping subsides. "I'm here, Snow. Shhh…" I repeat over and over again until I know she's sleeping soundly. I lay there holding her close for a while but eventually, I am lulled to sleep by her steady breathing.

I wake up to a gentle nudge. "Emma, darling… Wake up- we've got to get moving if we want to reach the Troll Bridge by high noon. We do, by the way." Snow's sing-song voice fills my ears and I open my sleepy eyes.

Dawn has barely broken and Snow looks eager to get moving. _Ugh. I am so not a morning person._ I roll onto my back and Snow holds out a hand to help me up from our grassy bed. I brush myself off and yawn, "What time is it?" Snow gives me a confused grin. _Hello, dumbass there are no clocks…_

"Well, my best guess would be around 6:30 in the morning but that's only a guess. It is early morning though, I can tell you that much." She answers as sweet as pie. Well, my guess is as good as hers at this point. I smile at her and nod my head.

Something smells absolutely amazing! I look to the fire for clarification. Sizzling on a make-shift stove are two eggs and some leftover turkey meat from last night's feast. My stomach rumbles with hunger as I turn to face Snow again.

"You made breakfast?" My voice fluctuates with excitement and gratitude. _I've never had a mom to cook me breakfast before._ Snow nods her head, indicating that she has made this wonderful breakfast. I walk closer to the fire, interested.

Snow flips the eggs and meat with a stick and decides they are done. She hands me a flat stone with an egg, some turkey meat and freshly picked berries. We eat breakfast quickly and get dressed for combat. Today, we will be fighting off Trolls. Whoever thought of building a castle surrounded by ocean, was seriously a moron.

We set off toward the Troll Bridge and I can't shake the eerie feeling that keeps creeping up my spine. I just have a bad feeling about this bridge. My cop radar is blaring; sharp and alert. _Why are you scared of some little Trolls? I mean, they are probably like those little rubber, freaky-looking troll dolls right? The ones with the crazy, untamable hair, right? Real Trolls look like those weird little guys right? I sure as hell hope they do._

We walk silently, both in deep thought. I'm trying to think of every tactical position we could take upon the Trolls but my mind keeps wandering back to Snow dreaming. It gives me chills. _I knew she loved Charming…but for her to say those wonderful things about me…_

A long, concrete stretch, of what looks like a tattered bridge, is looming before us. "Emma, you must listen to me. Trolls are very mean, nasty creatures. They will not hesitate to attack, especially because we cannot pay their toll. If I get taken down, you must promise me that you will continue on to the Castle ruins. If I don't make it, promise me that you'll get back to your father and Henry. Don't take the chance of coming back for me. I will be able to take care of myself, okay? I need you to promise me that, Emma." Snow's eyes are burning with the intensity of her words.

My heart is heavy, but I know I must listen to her. I try to swallow the lump building in my throat, but to no avail. "I promise, Snow." I can't look her in the eyes because deep down, I know I would come back to save her. I would never, ever leave her to save myself. _Only a coward would._

Snow grabs my hand, lacing our fingers. I can't see them, but my knuckles must be white. I'm gripping her hand as hard as I can. For the first time since we got the Enchanted Forest, I'm truly afraid. We may be walking into certain death. This may be my last few moments alive but I know I have to go through with this. I have to do this for Henry. He needs me and I need him. My life is nothing without him, so I will do everything in my power to be there for him. Not even certain death will stop me.

Hand in hand, we walk the short distance to the bridge's edge. "Ready?" I breathe to Snow, fear choking me. _For Henry. This is all for Henry._

Snow replies, "I am." _How can she be so brave all the time?_ We both place a foot on the bridge. Nothing shakes or quivers, so we tentatively take another step. I get the feeling that people are watching me. I turn around, paranoid, but nothing is there.

We are halfway over the bridge. Neither of us has said a single word. I haven't even heard a breath escape Snow's lungs since we started across the bridge. A pebble skids past my right foot and I whirl around just in time to dodge the fist of what might be a Troll.

I push Snow out of the way and unsheathe my sword. Trolls surround us from every angle. _Oh, shit. We are so fucked. These are not like those weird dolls with crazy hair. These are huge and real and scary. _

I look to Snow for a signal, a sign, anything. One of the Trolls, my guess would be the leader of the group, moves forward. "Pay the toll or death is your bidding." He groans in an oily grunt. I'm disgusted.

"Byrskine, I have no gold to offer you. Is there anything else you wish for?" Snow is stern and concise with her words. I am in awe of her confidence. _Is there anything she can't do?_ The beastly Troll tilts his head back and gives a horrible, loud cackle.

"You think this World is still yours to rule, Snow White? Think again." With that Byrskine throws a rusted spear in Snow's direction. I feel the air shift and know a war is about to ensue.

"Run!" Snow shouts and as soon as the command registers, I bolt. Together, we run head-on into 3 Trolls, each smaller than the leader, Byrskine. They don old armor and rusted weapons. I spear one of the Trolls with my sword and see that Snow has taken down another. We finish the third Troll together. I maneuver my sword toward his gut and when he deflects my shot, Snow sends an arrow through his neck.

The Troll's blood splatters onto my cheek and it takes everything I have to not throw up. _Oh my God, Troll guts! On my face! _ The rest of the other Trolls look taken aback by our sudden massacre, as they stand there momentarily motionless_. Didn't think too chicks could kill off some Trolls didja? You thought wrong._

I glance behind me for a quick second to make sure my back is clear. I turn back around to continue running with Snow, when something strikes my head. I lose vision, but continue running. I trip over a crack in the tattered bridge, falling face-first onto the concrete. My face burns and I feel dizzy. I lay there for a moment, unable to recover.

I hear the fight and struggle of the battle above me. _Snow needs you. _Get_ up!_ My vision is restored but still fuzzy. I get back to my feet and stab two more Trolls to death; one through the throat and the other, through the gut. I don't see Snow through the massive bodies of the remaining 4 Trolls.

A small Troll brandishes a long, rusted sword and waves it in my direction. I counter his attack and pin him against the Bridge's railing. His sword grazes my shoulder, slicing through my chest protector and my underlying skin. It burns and I yell out in pain. The Troll knocks away my sword.

"You just cut the wrong person!" I say through my teeth and the hint of a vicious smile plays on the Trolls lips. The Troll lifts his sword to decapitate me, when an arrow pierces his skull. He looks at me, realization evident on his terrified, pale face and he drops to the ground before me.

I hear Snow scream, high-pitched and loud as a fire alarm. Byrskine has Snow by her throat, crushing the life out of her. A surge of adrenaline rushes through my body and I attack. I throw my sharpest and longest dagger at Byrskine's bare back and it sinks all the way in.

The massive Troll turns on his heal, Snow still held captive in his vice. "You will pay for that" He tightens his hold on Snow's fragile neck and she passes out. Anger floods through me. I have never hated anyone, not even Regina, but I hate Byrskine. _I hate him!_

"Let her go, you filthy bastard!" I raise my sword to him and he throws Snow to the ground. The sound of her head hitting the hard concrete almost broke me, but I stand my ground. Byrskine yells a war cry, indicating attack. I raise my sword yet again, antagonizing the ugly brute.

Byrskine runs toward me, barring his sharp teeth and I flinch. He lunges at me and I crouch down, evading his assault. I'm behind him now, sword in hand. Before he has the time to turn around, I kick him once, hard in the middle of his back. The momentum takes him by surprise and he doesn't have enough time to hold on to the railing. Byrskine flies over the side of the bridge and tumbles off of the sharp mountain wall into a misty depth.

Snow! I run to her lifeless body. "Snow! Can you hear me?" I plead to her pale face. I check her pulse, It's present but faint. "Snow I wont lose you! Wake up, dammit, please!" I begin to cry.

She scrunches up her face in pain. "It hurts, Emma." _Oh thank God! She's alive! _

"What, Snow? What hurts?" I ask her in a frenzy of emotions. I am so relieved and still so utterly terrified. I know we don't have much time to get off of the bridge before we get attacked again.

"My head. My head hurts." Snow replies softly. I know she must be in a lot of pain but we need to get the hell off of this godforsaken bridge!

"Snow, we need to get off of this bridge. Can you walk?" I ask her as I help her into a sitting position. She nods and I help her to her feet. She holds a hand up to her forehead, massaging the knot forming by her left temple.

She drapes her right arm over my shoulders and I keep her steady as we swiftly walk the rest of the length of the Troll Bridge. As soon as we are far enough away from the bridge, I stop walking. I can't walk any farther. _What just happened?_ I start to hyperventilate.

"Emma, look at me." Snow demands politely, but forcefully. "I am so proud of you. You have all the strength of a thousand of the finest warriors. You saved my life, Emma. You are the most wonderful person I know. Nothing could make me more proud of you, Emma. Your courage says so much about you and who you are." Her eyes sparkle and flit across my face.

I blush awkwardly, still unaccustomed to getting compliments. "I know you would have done the same for me, Snow. I know that arrow flew from your bow; the one that killed the Troll that knocked away my sword. You saved my life too, Snow. No one else would have." I look up into her tear-filled eyes.

"Today, we are finally Mother and Daughter. There is no mistaking that. There is no greater sacrifice than that of your own life, and today, we both would have died to save the other. That is what family is, Emma. Family is sacrifice. Family is unconditional." Snow smiles and takes my hand in both of hers.

I sit on the cold, hard ground thinking about what Snow has just said. _Family is unconditional. I really would have died to save her today… I love her that much. _"You are my mom, Snow, and I am your daughter. Nothing in any world can change that."

Biologically, she is my parent, she always has been. However, she became my mother the second I knew she could look death in the face and still protect me. That selflessness will always mystify me. I've never had anyone to even stick up for me, let alone die for me. _Today, I have a real mom. An unconditional mom. _


	6. Here We Go Again

**Chapter 5**

_I am so hungry, I am going to die. My stomach is going to eat itself and I am going to die. _We have been walking along this trail for too damn long. My feet have blisters, every single muscle in my body is protesting any further movement, I am hungry and I am emotionally spent.

The only thing keeping me from quitting is the thought of reuniting with Henry. That and Snow's undying strength are lighting the fire under my ass. Otherwise, I would have given up hours ago. I would have collapsed and rolled myself up into a ball and I would have just forgotten about everything. I still want to, but I never will. _I will never, ever forget Henry._

"Emma, would you like to rest? You look like you're going to faint." Snow catches my arm as the Castle ruins come into view. _Oh, now she asks…now that we're here! _I almost reply with a snarky comment but think better of it. The woman just risked her life to save mine and now is not the time to repay her with underhanded comments.

"Oh, no that's okay. We're almost there anyways… and that means we're closer to getting back to planet Earth, so no thanks. I'm fine with keeping our pace, Snow." I reply with a smile. "Do you need a break?" I turn to Snow to assess her face.

A large bump has formed just above her left temple. She has a few scratches, but looks happy enough. I can tell her spirits are still high, which is more than you could say about mine. _Stop being such a negative Nancy, Emma. Sheesh._

"If you're fine, I'm fine. I don't need to stop." She beams over at me with the most beautiful smile and I can't help but smile back at her. I love spending time with her. _Mom…mom…ah, the word just doesn't come easily to me._ _I'm not ready yet. Some day, I will call her "mom" ….Just not today. Or tomorrow._

We continue walking in relative silence. There isn't much to say and I'm too drained from all the events of today to ask Snow any questions. Finally, after hours of walking, we come to the beginning of the Castle ruins.

"Oh, thank God!" I exclaim. Snow jumps about a foot into the air, clearly startled by my outburst. I can't tell if the situation is actually funny or if I'm just too tired to censor myself, but I laugh. I laugh long and hard and am winded by the time I get my giggles under control. Snow smirks at me in a motherly "oh-really-you're-laughing-at-me?" kind of way.

I grin back at her, a little embarrassed. She throws her arm around my shoulders and kisses the side of my head, "Just like your father…" Snow whispers and releases her hold on me. We continue walking about the ruins, when we come to a partially intact stairwell. _And Snow is stopping here? Of course she is…_

"If I'm right about this, Emma, we need to climb this stairwell. Once we reach the top, we will turn right and through the third door is your nursery." Snow's breath hitches in her throat and she turns her face from mine. I know that talking about this is hard for her, so I let her recover in silence.

She wipes her tears and looks back to me, "I'm sorry. It's just so hard for me, Emma. No mother wants to part with their child, especially just moments after they give birth. I hope someday you can forgive me for everything I've put you through. It was never my intention to desert you, Emma. I wanted to give you your best chance at survival. I never stopped loving you and I never want you to think that I did. There is so much I'd like to tell you, so much to apologize for, but now is not the time."

Snow sniffles and wraps me up into her arms and for once, I hug her back. I let a few tears roll onto my cheeks before looking back up at her. "I did…I did give up on you though. I wish I wouldn't have, but I did, Snow. And now I love you so much…I'm just…I just need some time to sort through my feelings. I don't hate you, so please don't think that I do. I just don't know how to handle all of this. All I am certain of right now is that I need to get back to Henry."

Snow clenches her jaw and nods her head. I feel bad for being so abrupt with her, but I just can't deal with her emotions on top of mine right now. I already feel like a cyclone of hormones and emotions right now without another thing to worry about. I take her hand and move to walk up the staircase.

The stone stairwell is unsteady, so we have to climb it quickly. The hallway is dark and dusty and only fractions of filtered sunlight bounce off the walls. It smells musty, like moist soil. This time, Snow leads the way to my nursery. Until now, I had been uninterested to see my nursery but I can't help thinking about what I could have had. _What does it look like? My crib? The walls? Are they painted? Did I have toys?_

The paint on the door is cracked and peeling. I run my fingers over the wood, trying to visualize what my life would have been like here. Snow turns the knob and slowly, the door creaks open. A wave of dust floats up around our feet and into the dimly lit room.

The room is large and beautifully decorated. Glass and shreds of paper scatter the ground. _That's odd._ A wooden crib, a rocking chair, pink blankets and stuffed animals; it's absolutely everything I have always wanted. _I am home._ In the middle of the room is a large tree stump.

Suddenly, everything makes sense. Snow brought us here for the magical stump; the portal back to Maine. It takes every ounce of strength for me to stifle my tears. I cover my mouth. _I want to cry. _

"That's why we're here…" I whisper in disbelief. I had no idea why Snow wanted to bring me back here, but now it's far too clear. "I'm not going without you, Snow." I shake my head at her incredulously. The stump only has room for one of us.

"Emma, I think you're the only one that can get it to work again. You…you're magical." Snow furrows her brow at me, her lip trembling slightly. _Me? Why me? Why the fuck is everything in my hands all the time? Well, I'm sure as hell not leaving Snow here._

I shake my head at her. "No." It's all I can say because I won't do it. I open the doors of the stump and look around inside of it, measuring. Snow is right, there is no way that both of us can fit inside. _Hold on. _

Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement; the slightest flicker of movement from a mirror hanging on the wall. I creep closer to the mirror, now just inches from the reflective glass. _I could have sworn I just saw Regina's face in the mirror._ "Hello?" a faint voice from the mirror chimes.

I have never screamed louder in my life. Snow tackled me to the ground and covered my head with her arms. I look up at the mirror in shock. _That fucking thing just talked to me!_ "Hello?" comes from the mirror again.

Snow runs to the mirror, suddenly elated. "Regina? Is that you? Can you hear me?" Snow shouts into the mirror and waits for a response. Regina's face flickers onto the mirror again but is gone just a quick.

"I'm here. It's Regina. I can hear you, Snow." Regina's voice purrs through the mirror. My stomach sinks because I know if it's in Regina's hands, we are never getting out of here.

"Regina, please help us. We need to get back to Storybrooke." Snow pleads our case through the mirror. Suddenly, I get an idea. I walk up to the mirror and place my hand on it. The same buzzing feeling surrounds my hand, just like the time when I touched the Storybrooke sign. _That seems like a lifetime ago._

"Snow, take my hand!" I yell to her before the vortex can pull me through alone. Snow grabs my waist and I throw my free arm around her neck, holding on for dear life. The suction pulls on my arm and just like that, there's the deafening whoosh in my ears. We are spiraling through dimensions and worlds of different sorts but I focus on Henry. I can't breathe, it's like the air is being sucked from my lungs. _Focus on Henry. Picture his sweet little kid face. All I want is Henry._

The last thing I remember is Snow holding onto me. I wake up in a dark place, with hard wooden floors. Snow is still clutching me tight around the waist. I shake her softly, my throat too dry to speak. She looks up at me, terrified. "How did you do that, Emma?" Her voice is weak and muffled into a whisper.

I shrug and sit up, looking around the dark place. I can only see about a foot in front of myself. Somehow I know this place. It just feels so familiar to me. I run my hands along the floor, looking for something, anything. My hand bumps into something hard and it rattles along the floor.

I pick up the object to study it. It's hard but soft. It feels like metal or marble or something along those lines. I hold it up in front of my face. _Oh my god…_ I gasp and drop it. "Snow, I know where we are. I just found a skeleton key." I whimper, willing myself not to break down.

I scoot back to Snow and hold her hand. _This is bad_. "We are in Regina's house…aren't we?" Snow whispers back to me as a tear falls onto my hand. I grip her hand even tighter, trying to be strong.

"Yeah, Snow. We're at Regina's." The pit in my stomach returns. _How are we going to get out of this one?_

_**_Hello everyone! I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update. As some of you may know, my laptop completely died. I have to use an unreliable desktop for now but I hope to get my laptop fixed asap! Please let me know what you think or what you'd like to see happen in the story. Thanks for following! Xxoo**


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